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6 Actions You Should Take Immediately After Your Identity Is Stolen

The moment an unauthorized person gets hold of your most personal information, they can actually land you in all kind of trouble. Unfortunately, it is sometimes inevitable to fall victim to identity thieves. They are always sharpening their skills on how to commit crimes such as; bank fraud, credit fraud, cyber-crimes, money laundering or drug trafficking offenses using your personal information.

What are you supposed to do in case you fall victim to identity theft?

Here’s what you should do;

Analyze your credit reports intensively for mystery accounts.

It is very easy for people who have not invested in identity theft protection to fall prey to identity thieves. Should you suspect that you are a victim of identity theft it is important to consider requesting your credit report .Consequently, you should review your reports thoroughly for any signs of any mysterious accounts. It is recommended that you request for your free credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com.

Contact Federal Trade Commission.

The best thing to do after realizing and verifying that you have fallen prey to identity theft is to open a file with the Federal Trade Commission. The good thing about reporting is that necessary action will be taken to protect your interests. You can either contact them via their website FTCComplaintAssistant.gov or even call them on their hotline 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338).

Report to the police

Many victims of identity theft don’t find it necessary to report their afflictions to their local police departments. Nonetheless, it is very important to contact the law enforcers despite the fact that they may not take any action. Actually, the reporting is all about protecting yourself legally from any prospective claims arising from the crime. Your report can also elicit an investigation especially if it involves international fraudsters.

Close the affected accounts immediately

In the case of a compromised account, it is wise to lock it down as fast as possible. This will prevent you from losing more than you have already lost. Experts at Lifelock recommend that victims contact their respective financial institutions to close the affected account. While at it, remember to dispute any illegal charges on your account as a result of identity theft related crimes.

Request for your credit card and bank statements

By scanning your bank and credit card statements you will be able to pinpoint any unauthorized charges after becoming the latest victim to identity thieves. Sometimes fraudsters take advantage of dormant bank accounts because their illegal activities go unnoticed for a long time and by the time they are discovered the damage has already been done. Keep track of your credit card and bank account activities for as a precaution measure at all times.

Implement preventive measures

After your identity has been stolen there can be dire consequences ranging from psychological effects, financial losses, and legal issues among others. While the identity theft was unavoidable you can prevent it from ever happening again by implementing the right preventive measures. Some of these preventive measures are; documents shredding, use of unique passwords and being more vigilant with your surroundings.

Conclusion

At LifeLock, we are committed to protecting your identity relentlessly. Feel free to check out our Lifelock reviews to help you understand why we are the best in identity theft protection solutions.